Head Moulding (Positional Plagiocephaly)
Many babies are born with oddly shaped heads usually as a result of the forces of labour, prematurity, the way they were lying in the womb, or birth interventions like forceps or ventouse. The bones of a baby's skull are soft and not rigidly joined at birth, but gradually fuse together as the baby grows. In the first few days of life the baby sucks, cries & yawns, which tends to normalise the moulding. In a very few cases, moulding may be due to more serious causes (eg. Craniosynostosis), which require medical treatment. Most, however, are due to the birth process itself and may be exacerbated by placing babies to sleep on their backs. In fact since the 'Back to Sleep' campaign, cot deaths have fallen dramatically but head moulding is on the increase.
Some babies have a good head shape at birth but develop moulding in the first 6 weeks. This is usually due to the position they are lying in - have a look at the 'Tips for Parents' below.

Osteopaths believe that untreated retained moulding can contribute to a number of problems - crying & unsettled baby, asymmetrical development of neck, sinus, nasal, ear & dental structures, sleep problems etc. as well as having cosmetic implications.

Osteopathic treatment in early life may help resolve this moulding and encourage the head to grow in a more normal shape so that by the time your child is at school it is no longer noticeable. As most head growth happens in the first year this is an ideal time for treatment.

Some General Points:

Head moulding is not painful for your baby and does not put pressure on the brain.

Overall head shape almost always improves with age so that by five years old it will hardly show at all.

There are a number of corrective helmets available on the market. Although they probably speed up the re-moulding there is no evidence that this results in any long term difference in the final shape of head or face. Helmets work best between the ages of 4-8 months as this is when the skull is growing most rapidly. They need to be worn for 23 hours a day and full treatment takes about 3-6 months.


Tips for Parents:
1. Where neck rotation is compromised on one side, encourage movement to that side by placing attention getting objects/light etc. on this side. Try varying the position you feed in and always use both arms. This is most effective in the first 4 months before your baby is able to re-position themselves.

2. Promote sleeping positions that avoid pressure on the already flattened area - you can do this by elevating one side of the mattress by a couple of inches by putting a rolled-up towel along the entire length of the mattress on the side to which the back of the head is flattened. This encourages head rotation to the opposite side & takes pressure off the flattened part. You can also swap which end of the cot you place your baby's head.

3. Plenty of tummy time play - this stimulates the muscles at the back of the neck and helps to create a rounder head. If they don't like this position try lying them on your tummy so they can look at your face, or, after 3 months, putting a small rolled up towel under their arms to prevent them flopping forwards. Some babies also enjoy a big exercise ball - hold your baby on this, tummy down, and gently rock back and forth.

4. Carrying your baby facing forward also promotes symmetrical head & neck movements through natural curiosity - use slings and front carriers for this.

5. Gently massage your baby's head at the back and around the ears - this will help reduce any tenderness which may be making the baby lie on one side only